Speaking at the time, Netanyahu heralded the Soviet forces’ contribution,
saying : “The memorial will express the great appreciation that we feel
for the Russian people,” adding that “many Jewish Red Army veterans
currently live among us, here in Israel. The memorial on the shores of
Netanya will also symbolize their contribution and heroism.”

Last year the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress reported Putin as having paid
tribute to the large Russian community in Israel, describing the Jewish
State as “practically a Russian-speaking country”.

In a conversation with the congress’s secretary-general, the Russian
president is alleged to have said : “Israel is one of the few foreign
countries that can be called Russian-speaking. It’s obvious that more
than half of the population speaks Russian.”

Also attending the inauguration ceremony of the Red Army Memorial will be
Russian Jewish Congress President Yury Kanner, as well as Netanya mayor
Miriam Feirberg Ikar and six major donors who contributed to the
memorial’s construction, including Alfa Group co-founders Mikhail Fridman
and German Khan.(...)
Blair is in Israel for the ongoing Facing Tomorrow conference, and on
Tuesday spoke on a panel with President Shimon Peres and former US
secretary of state Henry Kissinger on the key foreign relations and
security challenges facing the Middle East and the world.



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